Brussels, 16/04/2007 (Agence Europe) - Visiting Limassol (Cyprus) this Monday 16 April, the commissioner with responsibility for regional policy, Danuta Hübner, was briefed on the cohesion policy situation in the country since 2004 and on the state of preparation for programmes for the period 2007-2013. She was able to note that during the period 2004-2006, Cyprus benefited from Community funding to a level of €103 million, including €28 million from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and €54 million from the Cohesion Fund. For 2007-2013, this sum will increase to a total of €612 million over the period. Of this €612 million, €280 million will be distributed by the ERDF, €119 million by the ESF and €213 million by the Cohesion Fund. The Commission is set to approve the Cypriot National Strategic Reference Framework in the very near future, according to the commissioner: the policy mix put forward by the government is fully in line with the priorities set by the Commission and pays particular attention to investments being made in terms of environmental infrastructure, renewable energy sources, particularly photovoltaic energy, research, development and innovation.
During her meeting on Monday with Tassos Papadopoulos, the president of the Republic of Cyprus, Danuta Hübner stressed the importance of Cyprus's membership of the EU, discussed the country's state of preparation for the adoption of the euro, and underlined Cyprus's chance to benefit from the cohesion policy, which will increase its economic competitiveness and help it to become one of the best-performing economies in Europe. Ms Hübner also raised this last point with the Cypriot finance minister, Michael Sarris, with whom she also discussed the government's priorities for the implementation of the cohesion policy in 2007-2013. This is a recurrent theme for the commissioner, who then discussed it with representatives of SMEs, at a conference organised by the Chamber Of Commerce and Industry of Cyprus. Ms Hübner rounded off her meetings with a visit to several urban renovation and transport projects. (gb)